A Night With Knox Read Free

right now with all the coupling
up. I watch Cassie laugh on Ryder’s
arm and Savannah hug on Cash. They look like pieces of a puzzle that
fit perfectly together.
    I
had been hoping to capture some of that magic tonight, to start a
romance of my own. I imagine being part of a couple while hanging out
with my friends, having a pair of strong arms around my shoulders.
    “I
put Tom on as my plus one,” I say.
    Avery
gives me a knowing look. “Was this
before or after the guys reviewed the list?”
    “Why
would that even matter?”
    “Because
your brother goes into monster mode any time a man even looks at you
suggestively,” Ruby says.
    The
waitress brings over three martinis. I guzzle mine before she’s
fully gone.
    “So
you add a plus one,” Ruby starts,
plucking the olive out of her drink.
    “To
the list your brother checks every night,” Avery
says.
    “How
much do you want to bet that Jackson gave the list a little tweak and
took Tom’s
name off?”
    “Jackson
wouldn’t do
that,” I say, defending him, more
because of familial obligation than because I believe he’s
innocent. Jackson’s
had my best interests at heart since he stepped up to the plate after
the car crash that left us parentless. He’d
want me to find someone. To have something like what his friends have
found.
    Ruby
places her martini glass on the bar, shrugging. “Jackson’s
a nice guy, but as an older brother he’s
a guard dog that just refuses to back down. The only way he’s
gonna let go is if someone makes him roll over and rubs his belly.”
    “When
was the last time Jackson focused on his own sex life?”
Avery adds.
    “He’s
too busy ensuring that I don’t
have one.” I frown at my empty glass.
They’re
right. Jackson’s
got issues with my dating and he shows no signs of lightening up
soon. Before it was cute, normal protective brother behavior, but if
their theory is true, Jackson’s
graduated from slightly exaggerated concern to the control of a
dictator.
    “A
girlfriend would do him a world of good. Jackson’s
way too uptight.”
    I
shudder. Too much talk of my brother having sex creeps me out. Plus,
this isn’t
just about him and his nonexistent girl troubles. It’s
about the two of us, our relationship. He definitely needs to loosen
his hold over my life. He can’t
shadow me forever.
    “This
has to stop,” I say, resolving
myself. “You’re
right.”
    “Give
him hell,” Ruby says as I zero in on
him. “And if that fails, give him a
kick to the balls. At the very least, it might buy you time for
sexcapades while he recovers.”
    Several
men nearby balk and Ruby gives them a small wave. All balls and
brass—that’s
Ruby for you.
    I
push my way through the crowd to my brother’s
group. Jackson holds a beer, which might be the most relaxed thing
about him. He seems to be enjoying himself, though, even if he’s
as serious as ever. I’d
bet good money that he sleeps in his suits. He chats with Ryder and
Parker, while Cash entertains Cassie and Savannah with some animated
story. I brush past the outer circle and into their inner sanctum.
    Cassie
and Savannah wave hello and I return it, but with a forced smile.
Under normal circumstances I’d
be hanging out with all of them, but not when my brother decides to
be a royal asshole.
    “Jackson,
a word?” I say, turning up the
sweetness in my voice to cavity-inducing. His arm drops across my
shoulder and I brace, half expecting a noogie. It’s
just the big-brother kind of move he loves to pull. If he tries it
tonight, I’ll
be happy to put a stiletto through his Italian leather shoes.
    “Happy
New Year, sissy,” he says tapping me
on the nose, like I’m
still a five-year-old clutching a teddy bear.
    I
slap his hand away.
    “How’d
you do it?” I demand.
    Before
Jackson can respond, Ryder steps in. “I
hear congrats are in order,” he says.
Ryder’s
played referee to more than one sibling death match before, but this
time I’m
determined. Not even